The Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football to review the outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, citing what it describes as inconsistent disciplinary standards following a recent ruling involving Senegal.
The request comes in the wake of CAF’s decision to overturn the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, in which the Senegal national football team were stripped of the title despite winning on the pitch. The governing body sanctioned Senegal over a walkout incident, awarding the البطولة to hosts Morocco national football team 58 days after the tournament.
In its appeal, Guinea argued that similar disciplinary principles should be applied retrospectively, pointing to the decisive 1976 encounter between Morocco national football team and the Guinea national football team. The match, played under a four-team round-robin format, determined the eventual champion.
Morocco required only a draw to secure the title, while Guinea needed victory. Guinea took the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane. During the match, Moroccan players briefly left the pitch in protest over a refereeing decision but later returned to resume play.
Morocco equalised in the 86th minute through Ahmed Makrouh, with the match ending 1–1. The result ensured Morocco topped the group with five points to claim the title, while Guinea finished second.
The Guinean federation maintains that the walkout incident should be reassessed under the same principles applied in the 2025 ruling. “Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” the federation said in a statement, adding that retroactive sanctions should be considered in cases where teams leave the field of play during a match.
CAF’s recent decision to award Morocco a 3–0 victory following Senegal’s walkout has intensified scrutiny of past matches. However, sports legal analysts note that key CAF regulations, including Article 84, were not in force in 1976 and are seldom applied retroactively.
CAF has yet to issue an official response to Guinea’s request. Observers say the appeal could test the body’s willingness to revisit historical decisions in African football.
